Head-protective device



Jimerrll, 1929.

H. R. HART- HEAD PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed July 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Svwawboz 43M, MM wi h June 11, 1929. H. R. HART 1,716,550

HEAD PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed July 1. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ewuzmtoz Patented June 11, 1929.

UNETE TTES HENRY RIDGEWAY HART, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

HEAD-PRDTECTIVE DEVICE.

Application filed July 1, 1926. Serial 1Y0. 119,841.

position over the face and/or ears of the wearer from a crown piece which is pref-erably adjustable, suitable space or spaces being provided to afford unobstructed vision. More particularly, the mask or guard is reinforced with metal to resist blows and the impact is cushioned by yielding padding disposed within the reinforcement.

The invention will now be described in greater particularity in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing the head protective device according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows and showing particularly the configuration of the metallic reinforcement and the padding therefor.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the manner of cushioning and reinforcing the ear guard portion of the devicel The primary object of the invention is the provision of a suitable mask a for the features adapted to be worn by contestants in boxing and Wrestling bouts which shall adequately protect against violent blows. Accordingly, a reinforced face mask a is adapted to be supported in position from a crown piece I) which fits snugly the head of the wearer. This crown piece Z) may take the form of a skull cap or as illustrated in the drawings comprise merely cross straps b, 6 extending over the top of the head and being secured at their lowermost ends to the mask portion a of the device. To fit the head of the wearer snugly the crown piece 6 is adjustable. In the illustrated embodiment the rear portion of the crown piece or rearward extension a of the face mask a as it may be called is divided and laced at a over and outside of a tongue 6 formed by an extension of the rearwardly depending cross piece. The lacing is preferably of the ordinary type, tieing together the two extensions a. Tongue may or may not be secured thereto." Obviously, an elastic gore may be substituted for the lacing. Inwardly the crown piece may be padded as shown by the felt padding 0. Inwardly of a leather covering a the mask is reinforced by a stiff metallic mask d which in the preferred embodiment extends rearwardly to cover the ears, the reinforcement being pressed outwardly at that portion (Z overlying the ears. Inwardly the metal lic reinforcement iscushioned by yielding material such as sponge rubber c, the rubber being omitted immediately proximate the ears to form an ear receiving portion 7 about which the sponge rubber lies. Inwardly of the sponge rubber the mask may be faced With soft leather 9 as shown.

In situations such as for use in connection with wrestling it may be advantageous to omit the stiff face protector relying principally upon the stiff cushioned ear guards. Similarly, if an easily transportable guard is desired the mask may be jointed as along the vertically extending lines h, 2', whereby the ear pieces may be folded with respect to the face mask portion.

If desired, a chin strap character may extend from one ear guard to the other.

It will thus be seen that a head protective device has been provided which includes a rigid shield for the face suitably cushioned against blows.

Various modifications may be made in the j of adjustable form of the crown piece and in the particular manner of reinforcing and cushioning the face mask and no limitations are intended by the foregoing description or accompanying illustrations except as indicated in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A device of the character described comprising a crown piece formed of crossed leather straps at right angles to one another and secured together at the crossing point and conforming generally to the shape of the head of the wearer and having downwardly depending ends, a face mask secured to three ends of the straps, said face mask being formed of a unitary metal plate pressed to conform generally to the shape of nose, cheeks, and ears of the wearer and cut away to alford eye openings and with holes at the ear portions to facilitate hearing, a pad of sponge rubber on the inner side of the plate to serve as a cushioning means, said pad being cut away at theeye openings and at the ear portions to provide recesses for theears an inner lining of soft leather covering said pad, an outer covering of relatively stiif leather fixed to the outside of the metal plate and extending at either side behind the ear portions to provide rearward extensions for the back of the head of the wearer, said rearward extensions being adjustably laced to- 10 gether to provide means to adjust the device to heads of difierent sizes, the fourth end of the crossed straps depending inwardly of the rearward extensions to be coveredby the lacing, and a lining of soft material on the inner sides of said straps and said rearward extensions.

This specification signed this 28th day of June, A. D. 1926.

HENRY RIDGEWAY HART. 

